The Good, The Bad and Holly Lindsey
by Isabella GL
Summary: The time is June 1993. The place is Springfield. Roger Thorpe is involved with the beautiful Jenna Bradshaw but cannot seem to get his ex-wife Holly Lindsey out of his mind. To complicate matters, competition enters in the form of Josh Lewis!
1. A New Man in Town

**Background story**

_The time is June 1993. The place is Springfield._

_Roger Thorpe is involved with the beautiful Jenna Bradshaw and he finally has what he always wanted: the presidency of Spaulding Enterprises. He would be perfectly happy if it wasn't from the fact that his son Hart refuses to talk to him, and that his daughter Blake is in love with one of his oldest enemy, Ross Marler._

_And that he can't seem to get his ex-wife, Holly Lindsey, out of his head. Although she made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with him, their last kiss tells him a different story._

_This is not a new story of mine, but the first time that I posted it, it was in different parts instead of in chapters, so I'm just reposting it. Please not that there will one rated M part towards the end, but the rest is rated T, so I gave it a general T rating._

* * *

Although the sun had set an hour ago, the heat could still be felt inside the house.

Holly lounged on her couch, lost into a book. She stopped reading to fan herself with a magazine that she picked on the coffee table nearby.

Her mind wandered back to the night before, when Roger had stopped by to discuss his problems with his son. She had only wanted to help as a friend, she kept telling herself. But as the thought crossed her mind, she knew it wasn't true. The truth was she just wanted to see him, to talk to him. To see if he still wanted her. And as it turned out, he did. The kiss they shared before she pushed him away still made the blood rush to her head.

She got up suddenly and started pacing trough the living room, trying to shake these thoughts away. Looking absently at her reflection in the mirror, she realized that it was no use; she had to understand why she couldn't let go of the man. After all the heartache he caused her, why did she want to keep him close? Did she still love him? Impossible, she immediately thought, I would have to be raving mad. True, Roger was not the same man that he was fifteen years ago, but he was still the man who had hurt her in the worse possible way. She could never forget that. She would never let him that close, ever again.

Then why was he still in her life? What was wrong with her?

She sighed. If only someone could whisk me away from here, she thought. Away from him.

* * *

Standing on the terrace overlooking the grounds behind the mansion, Roger was sipping a scotch. The day at work had been a hard one. Being around Jenna made him feel guiltier by the minute, especially after what had passed between Holly and him the night before. At the thought of his ex-wife, he could not help but break into a smile. She still wants me, he though as he reveled in his victory. His smile briefly faded, however. As fearless as he was, even he was sometimes scared by the intensity of his passion for her. She wanted him, but did she love him?

And if so, it meant giving up all this, he sighed as he looked around. The company, the big house, the money…the power. And giving up was against his nature. He simply had to have it all.

For the next few days, both of them tried to keep out of each other's way. Holly because she concluded that whatever her feelings were, she could not give in to them and Roger because he needed time to think about a way to get Holly without losing everything that he had worked so hard for.

* * *

High-strung from yet another scorching-hot day, Holly decided a few days after their encounter that she needed a night out to unwind. After many hesitations, she called and asked her daughter out for drinks at the Towers. Blake could not hide her surprise but quickly agreed. Although the relationship was still strained since Blake had started dating Ross, Holly's ex-boyfriend, both felt that it was time to work, slowly and carefully, towards reconciliation.

As she saw her mother make her way through the crowded room a couple of hours later, Blake could not help noticing the looks of admiration her mother was gathering from the male crowd. She had to admit that she was more beautiful than ever, her auburn curls softly framing her face, her slender body clad in a simple black dress. She had that subtle quality that drove men crazy, Blake thought as her mother finally joined her.

"You look well, Mom"

Holly smiled sarcastically. "Well, I guess I am finally starting to see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel".

"Mom…" Blake started warningly.

"Oh, I am sorry, Honey, it's just that I'm not used to being nice to you anymore".

"Right, don't be too nice, or I might lose my bearings," Blake deadpanned.

They both stared at each other and started laughing. "You sounded really on edge when you called me, what is going on?"

Holly wondered how much she should tell her daughter. She knew that Blake, even if she was all grown up, still hoped for her parents to get back together.

"Nothing really. My air conditioning broke down and I couldn't stand the heat, that's all".

Blake scoffed. "You mean the heat coming from Dad?"

You little brat, Holly thought, feeling her cheeks turning red. "What are you taking about? Roger already has his hands full with his little British princess and you know it".

"Oh please, Mom, I'm not blind. I see the way he looks at you. And I see the way you look at him when you think no one is looking."

Holly downed her drink and signaled the barman to fix her the same. "Honey, you are delusional. Just keep your romantic fantasies on Ross and we'll all be the better for it."

Blake sighed and started eyeing the crowd. She noticed a handsome man making his way towards the bar and nudged her mother. "Did you know that Josh Lewis was back in town? They say he finally stopped looking for Reva."

Before Holly had time to answer, Josh approached them, a friendly smile on his face. "Holly. Blake. It's been a long time, how are you?"

Holly turned toward him. "Couldn't be better. You seem well".

Josh colored a little at these words. "Well, I am glad to be back in Springfield, with my family." He tipped the barman and added as he was leaving, "It was nice seeing you both".

They both stared as he made his way back to his niece Mindy and her boyfriend Nick.

"He is a nice man". Holly said thoughtfully. "The way he lost Reva, it's just terrible".

"Just like you lost Dad all those years ago, when we thought he was dead".

"Yes, it's exactly the same thing. Except that Josh was heartbroken and I was deliriously happy".

Blake poked her mother in the ribs. "MOM! Don't say that. I know why you say it, but don't".

Holly sighed. "Honey, just the fact that I can joke about it is a miracle, so humor me, okay?"

She finished her drink and picked up her purse. "I have to get an early start tomorrow". She looked at her daughter and her eyes softened. "Thank you for coming with me. It was fun".

As they exited the room, Holly could feel that someone was watching her. She turned and saw Josh glancing her way before he resumed his talk with Mindy. When she was gone, he stared again at the empty doorway.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Holly was on her way back to her house when her car started making ominous noises. Stupid car, she thought. She just had it fixed and it now looked like it was on its last mile. Sure enough, the car soon gave up with a last belch and rested on the side of the road. Holly got out and kicked the door shut.

Now what? It was still a good walk to her house and in stilettos: it just was not an option. Besides, this part of the town was mostly woods and she shuddered at the idea of crossing it alone. As she glanced around in the hope to find a payphone, a car appeared around the bend and passed her by, only to stop abruptly a couple of feet ahead.

Oh no.

Holly scrambled to get back inside her car when she heard a familiar voice call out her name. For a split second, she thought it was Roger, but as she turned to look at the man she realized that he was taller and broader.

"Holly, is that you?"

She let out a sigh of relief.

"Josh. God, am I glad to see you! My idiotic car just broke down, as you can see."

"Do you want me to take a look? I am not an expert but I can give it a try".

"Forget it. The mechanic cries whenever I bring it over." They both laughed.

"I'll have it towed when I get home." She paused, waiting for him to offer her a ride home, which he promptly did. As they got into the car, Holly suddenly realized something.

"I was lucky that you were in the area. It's not on the way to your home…"

Josh shifted in his seat, staring ahead. "You right, it's not. The thing is, Holly, is that actually, I was going to your place".


	2. Reva's Bend Revisited

Holly turned on the lights and held the door for Josh to come in. The heat hit them like a tidal wave. Holly took her jacket off and opened a window.

"You know, I had half a mind to jump out of the car right there and then. I thought you had some nerve, coming over to my house at this time of night."

She threw her purse on the kitchen table and turned towards Josh, who was still standing in the doorway.

"Then I remembered. Reva used to live here. This used to be her house."

Josh cleared his throat. "Yeah…I just wanted to drive past it actually. I do that sometimes. I didn't mean to bother you, but seeing you at Towers made me think of the place."

He stopped and looked around. Holly gave him some time to take it in and started rummaging through the cupboard. Digging out a bottle of red wine, she asked softly, "I bet you need a drink. Is this strong enough for you?"

Josh smiled. "It's perfect, but I really don't want to intrude."

"It's no problem at all. You can look around if you want, but I'm afraid a lot of things have changed."

After a small tour, Josh joined her and sat on the sofa. As she poured the wine, Josh studied her face and mentally compared her to Reva - as he did with every woman. They were certainly different, although both were very attractive in their own way. Just like his wife, Holly had had her share of lovers in this town. But while Reva was impulsive and fiery, Holly was cool and mysterious.

He had to admit he always felt a little uncomfortable around her. Reva and he came from the same world, but Holly had always moved in other circles. Most of all, her connection with Roger made it impossible for them to really become friends. What did she see in that creep anyway?

As if reading his mind, Holly broke the silence. "It must be hard for you to be back here, without Reva. Everyone always talked about the great love that you two had. It reminds me of…well never mind."

"Reminds you of what?"

Holly sighed then looked him in the eyes as if to defy him. "Of my own story. With Roger".

Josh almost choked on his drink. "Come on Holly, you can't seriously compare what Reva and I had to what you went through with Roger!"

Holly stood up straighter. "Why not? We have a child together. And our relationship was rather…explosive. Just like you and Reva."

"Still, even if Reva and I had our ups and downs, there was never any violence between us".

"Are you going to tell me that Reva never tried to hurt you on purpose, to get back at you? Because I heard differently," Holly replied curtly.

Josh's temper started to rise. "He cheated on you so many times. He tried to kidnap your child".

"She married your brother, THEN your father. Just to spite you". Holly promptly retorted.

"He forced himself on you!"

Holly swallowed hard. After a pause, she replied bitterly. "I know…No one is going to let me forget it."

Josh's anger left him as he saw sadness creeping onto her face. "I am sorry, Holly. I shouldn't have said that."

Holly got up, refilling her drink as she paced across the living room.

"I know what everyone thinks. They think I am crazy for even speaking to him."

She downed her drink as if to get the strength to go on. "It's so easy to judge from the outside. We should know better but we all do it anyway. Regardless of everything that Roger did to me, he is still the first love of my life. The first man I ever made love with. The first man I seduced." she said as she let out a little laugh.

"I was crazy about him. I couldn't stay away. As for the…rape, well, we dealt with that in our own way. People don't know what went on between us since we came back to town, how much we tried to come to terms with what happened. It took fifteen years, but I know now for a fact that Roger would never hurt me, or anyone else in that way. It's not in him anymore. And I forgive him. I know most people would say I'm crazy for even being in the same room with him but believe me, forgiveness feels much better than hate."

Josh slowly got up. She looked so vulnerable, he thought as he approached her.

"You're right. Only you know the whole story. Don't be too hard on other people though. Some are judgmental, but most of them just don't want to see you hurt again."

"Well, to be fair, Roger and I didn't have the most blissful of marriages." They both cracked up, relieved that the tension was gone.

"I'll admit the same."

Holly became serious again. "I think what really made it impossible for our marriage to work out was Roger's monstrous ambition. He used to think that everything was his due. Money, women. He won't use violence to get it anymore, but he still can't commit to a serious relationship. As soon as the thrill is gone, so is he."

They went back to the sofa. Josh emptied the bottle in their glasses. "This is good stuff! Let's make a toast. To crazy relationships."

"Yes. They make us who we are."

They switched to small talk while finishing off their drinks. While Josh talked about his stay in Italy, it was Holly's turn to subtly analyze him. She noticed the way his shirt clung slightly to his chest because of the heat. He certainly was handsome, although in a totally different way than Roger. The Lewises always were the good guys.

Josh finally stood up to leave. "If you don't mind, I think I should call a cab. I might have had a little bit too much to drink."

Holly rose too. As she did, a strap from her dress slid of her shoulder. "Alright" she said in her alto voice. She caught him staring at her naked shoulder.

He cleared his throat and picked up the phone on the coffee table. As he did, everything went black.

* * *

Holly tried the light switch once more. "First the air conditioning, then the car, now this…"

Josh put the phone back on the receiver. "Don't kill the messenger, but the phone's dead too."

"What?"

"Looks like there is a problem with both the electric lines and the phone lines. You want me to take a look?"

"If you are as drunk as I am, you wouldn't know a cat from a donkey in your condition."

Josh took her hand in his so that she wound not bump on any furniture. "Come on; let's just take a look outside. I can't go anywhere until I sober up anyway, and since I can't call a cab, we might as well go for a little walk."

Holly said nothing but didn't try to take her hand away as he led her outside. In fact, she mused, it felt rather nice.

It did not take them long to figure out what had happened. Just around the bend on the road, a huge tree had fallen on the lines, cutting both the power and the phone. After assessing the damage, they slowly walked back to the house, fanning with Josh's jacket. Once inside, Holly fumbled around, looking for candles. She lit a couple and brought them in the living room.

They faced each other awkwardly. They both felt that something was happening but did not dare to act on it. Their attraction was so sudden, so unexpected. And yet, so real.

Holly lifted her hair to cool herself, looking away and Josh noticed how the candlelight made her face even softer. Before he could stop himself, he closed the distance between them and touched her hair.

"Funny…I always had a thing for blondes, but redheads seem terribly attractive all of a sudden" he said with a husky voice.

He then pulled her to him, and when he saw that she did not push him away, he kissed her. Holly's mind was racing. What about Roger? She then reflected that he was probably in bed with Jenna at this very moment. She looked up to see Josh looking at her expectantly. She smiled as he crushed her against him and they both fell on the couch.

"Oh my…" was her last coherent thought.

* * *

Roger woke up and sat bolt upright in his bed. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

"What is it, Darling?" Jenna asked, half-asleep.

His throat was tight and he felt like someone had been sitting on his chest. "I must have had a nightmare". But he knew it was more than that. He felt like he had just received a terrible blow. What was going on?

He did not sleep again that night.


	3. What Reva is to you, Roger is to her

The next morning, Holly woke up next to Josh, who was watching her with a smile on the corner of his lips. She winced as she tried to sit. "Are you has hung over as I am?

He pulled her back to him. "Worse. Let's stay in bed all day, what do you say?"

She shifted in his arms. "What?"

"Unless you want me to go…?" He tried to meet her gaze but she pretended to look outside the window.

He burst out laughing and got up. "Oh come on, Holly. You don't have to spare my feelings, I'm a big boy. If what happened last night was a mistake to you, just say it and I'll leave."

He picked his shirt on the floor and started buttoning it up, still smiling. "For what it's worth, I had a great time."

Holly sat up and started to relax. She was making things too complicated, as usual. "I had a good time too. It's just that I am very cautious person, and it's going a bit fast right now." She saw that Josh wanted to say something and continued hurriedly. "I know that you're nothing asking me to spend the rest of my life with you, I know that. It's just…I mean I can't even believe that we spent the night together! We barely know each other…"

"And yet you sit stark naked in front of me." She turned a deep red and grabbed a sheet to cover herself.

"Holly, please. You weren't so shy last night." She saw the twinkle in his eyes and realized he was teasing her. She threw a pillow at him and he ducked behind the door.

"Ok, I get your point. I'll go."

Before he left the room, he turned back to look at her one last time.

She was sitting amidst the rumpled white sheets, with her red hair all messed up. He felt the impulse to go back and kiss her, but checked himself.

"You know where to find me" was all he said before he left.

He walked back to his car with a new spring in his steps. For the first time, he felt truly happy to be back.

* * *

Sitting by himself at Company a couple of days later, Josh once again caught himself reminiscing about that night. His memories were not as clear as he wished, because he had been drunk at the time. All he remembered was them falling on the floor, hitting the coffee table and laughing, a torn shirt, hands everywhere, her hair in his face. It had been…sizzling. He had almost picked up the phone a few times to call her, but sensing that he should give her space, he had forced himself not to.

He had half-hoped that she would be the one to call, but was not surprised when she did not. Besides, he thought, what would he do if she did call? Did he just want to have a little fun or was it something more serious? All he knew is that he felt really excited at the thought of seeing her again.

"A penny for your thoughts" said a soft feminine voice.

He looked up to see his sister-in-law Vanessa smiling at him. He invited her to sit down.

"I was thinking about Holly Lindsey. You owe me a penny."

Vanessa looked slightly taken aback. "I didn't know you knew her well."

Josh laughed. "I don't, actually. But we got better acquainted a couple of nights ago. We had a long talk, about personal things. You know, I talked about Reva, and she talked about Roger."

Vanessa shuddered at the name of Roger. "I'm not surprised she talked about him."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Those two can't stay away from each other."

Josh frowned. "I though Roger was engaged or something, to Jenna Bradshaw."

"Yes, they are, but that never stopped Roger from pursuing Holly."

"And you think that Holly wants to get back with him?"

"Well, I think it's more complicated than that. I think that maybe she wants it but she fights against it. Holly doesn't confide in me in any case, so this is just speculation on my part."

She looked at Josh more closely. "Why do you ask, anyway?"

"Well, you know…" he said, smiling.

"No, I don't know! Don't tell me you're interested in Holly?"

"Why not? Isn't she a nice, smart, attractive, sexy woman?"

"Yes she is, but I never thought she would be your type. Besides, half the men in Springfield are after her already."

"That just confirms that I have excellent taste."

Vanessa laughed at his cockiness. "Very nice of you to be so confident, and I agree that they're not your competition. Roger is, and he is a very serious contender!"

"What's life without a challenge?"

"Josh, I am serious. Don't go after her. You'll end up being hurt and I don't want that."

Josh signaled the waiter for the check and smiled at Vanessa. "I appreciate your concern, but I think I have as much to offer than Roger Thorpe. AND I'm better looking, so there."

"Fine, keep joking about it. But think about this: Roger is to Holly what Reva was to you. The only difference is that Roger is alive."

Josh shrugged as if it did not matter, but he was more shaken by her last remark that he wanted to admit.

* * *

As usual, Roger dropped by Holly's place without calling first. She had just finished dressing herself after her morning shower when she heard the doorbell.

She recognized him trough the screened door with mixed feelings. She never knew if she was happy to see him, or nervous, or annoyed.

"Hello Roger, ever heard of calling first?"

He looked at her wet hair and smiled. "Why? I thought that after the last time you'd be glad to see me!"

Holly reddened. "Really Roger, we shouldn't be talking about this."

Roger felt that something had changed since the last time he saw her. "You look different. Has something happened in the last few days?"

She felt herself blush even more. "Nothing, no. Besides, it wouldn't be any of your business if it had!"

"Hey, what's going on here? Last time I saw you, you were like fire in my arms. Now you won't give me the time of day?"

Holly faced him, suddenly angry. "That's exactly the point Roger. I don't owe you squat! And you know why? Because you're not free. How can you say that you want me when you go to bed with another woman every night?"

Roger kept silent, thinking hard.

Holly pressed on. "Look, I don't want us to hate each other anymore, and I know that you don't either. But I can't let you toy with me like that. I can't live on stolen kisses from you when Jenna isn't looking"

"Come on Holly, you know that you're the one I really want!"

"Then how come you're still with her? The only thing standing in the way of us is yourself."

"That's a bit rich coming from you. What would you do if I were to leave her right now to be with you? You'd be scared to death, don't you deny it."

It was Holly's turn to stay silent for a minute. Finally she walked to the door and held it open.

"You're right. So if you're too scared to be with me, and I with you, don't you think you should leave?"

Roger slowly walked up to her and called her name pleadingly. "Holly…"

Feeling him so close made it hard to resist, but she managed to say "You better go Roger. With you there is always something or someone else."

She made sure his car pulled out of the driveway before collapsing on the nearest couch. She felt completely drained. Pushing Roger away was like fighting an addiction. It would have felt so good to give in, but then so horrible afterward.

The worse part was that she felt like she had been unfaithful to him. With a Lewis, of all men! If he were to find out, he would go ballistic. Not that she was scared, she thought hurriedly. She just did not want to hurt him on purpose. Not anymore. Besides, he would never find out, because she would not see Josh again.

There was really no reason to.


	4. At the Masquerade

"Who will you dress as for the ball tomorrow" Blake called to ask a few days after Holly threw Roger out.

Holly stuck the phone between her shoulder and her right ear. "What ball?"

"The masquerade ball, you know, for Cedars' foundation. Don't tell me you're not coming!"

Holly cursed under her breath. She vaguely remembered receiving an invitation a month ago but since she did not have a date, she had not planned on going and had eventually forgotten about it.

"Honey, I am not going there by myself."

"Oh Mom, don't be silly. Everyone is going to be there. I'll be there." Blake added sheepishly.

"Well, that's sweet of you but you hardly qualify as a date."

"No one will know if you have a date or not, it's a masquerade, remember? Greek mythology, gods, heroes. Did you even bother to read the invitation?"

"Sounds lame."

"Sounds great! Besides, you're coming and that's that."

Holly sighed.

* * *

Josh adjusted his mask before entering the country club's ballroom. His reflection in the mirror made him smile in satisfaction. Not too bad, he thought. He had decided to dress up as Heracles, better known as his Roman alias Hercules. Half god, half mortal, bold and courageous, Hercules had seemed like a good character to portray in the mind of the Lewis golden boy.

No one could deny that the costume made Josh look striking. His armor caught the chandelier lights and displayed his strong shoulders and wide back. Several women tried to catch his eye as he made his way across the room, but he did not notice. He was looking for someone himself, but the masks made it hard to recognize anyone.

By looking very closely, he did manage to his amusement to place most of his family and acquaintances. Billy came as Zeus, which was to be expected. Vanessa stood by his side as his wife Hera in a fleeting blue dress.

Fletcher Reade walked swiftly by as Hermes, messenger of the gods and bearer of good and bad news. Mindy winked at him as she walked to the bar as Helen of Troy, wearing a white dress and gold bracelets.

Alexandra, dressed as warrior goddess Athena, was in earnest conversation with Alan, or her warrior brother Ares, and Alan-Michael, handsome as ever in his Apollo costume.

Josh's heart leapt when he saw Blake come in as the beautiful Aphrodite. He looked around her but could only see Ross, dressed as Poseidon, god of the seas. He did not want to admit it to himself, but he had showed up mostly because he had hoped to see Holly again, and now she was not there.

Disappointed, he slowly walked out the opened patio doors and headed towards the garden. The chatter from the crowd reached him dimly, muffled by the trees. It was after wandering deep into the garden that he finally saw her. It was so sudden that it knocked the breath out of him. There she was, her back turned to him, oblivious to his presence. Her hair bathed in the moonlight, shining like copper, the delicate lines of her neck and back disappearing into her red dress. Even standing still, she was one of the most graceful creatures he knew, Josh thought. A true goddess.

And a wild one at that, Josh smiled to himself when he noticed the bow and arrows at her feet.

Finally sensing someone's presence, Holly turned. "God, you startled me!"

"I was just admiring the view," Josh quickly retorted, "I didn't mean to scare you. Would you care to join me for a stroll in the garden?"

He could see that she hesitated and seemed to be internally struggling about something. At last, she silently extended her arm for him to lead her along the gravel path. After a few minutes where neither of them spoke, Josh broke the silence.

"I should have known."

Holly looked at him sideways. "Should have know what?"

"That you would come dressed as Artemis."

"Really? You think you know me that well already?" Her tone was teasing but he could feel a warning underneath.

"I know that you share a lot of similarities with her. You're just as wild, mysterious, strong-headed…and you keep men at arms length."

Holly stopped, indignant. "I do not!"

Josh took her hands in his and replied softly. "You sure keep me at arms length. I didn't hear anything from you since the night we spent together. Why is that? Was it so bad to you?"

Holly looked down, fighting to keep her composure.

Without warning, Josh's lips were upon hers. With no time to think, she let him pull her toward him in a tight embrace. When he finally let her go, they were both breathless. Somewhere in the distance, they could hear the deep rumble of thunder.

Josh broke the silence. "You see? It must be sign from the gods," he whispered with a smile.

"Josh, you shouldn't…" her voice trailed off.

"Shouldn't what? What is it, Holly?" He took a few steps back, raising both hands in frustration.

"You know, I'm not the type of guy who's going to impose himself on a woman he likes. And I haven't done that, I let you plenty of space to come back to me. After a while I even thought that I had imagined the sparks between us that night. But, seeing you tonight, the way you look at me, the way you kissed me back, I know I wasn't wrong. Just look me in the eyes Holly, and tell me you don't want me. See if you can do it!"

Holly buried her face in her hands and turned away. "I can't say that. You know I can't."

Josh's arms closed around her waist and he rested his cheek against her hair.

"Then why are you fighting this? It is because of Roger?"

The rain started to fall.

"I don't want to hurt you, Josh. I am so confused, and Roger is always around and he won't let go…You don't want to get into this, believe me. I am a mess".

"Will you please let me be the judge of that?"

He lifted her chin and wiped the water drops from her face. "Just one more night. That's all I am asking."

She could feel her resolve weakening. Why did she feel like she was betraying Roger? She looked at Josh again and made her decision.

"One more."

* * *

Ares, god of the underworld, came out of the shadow and stood in the rain, right where the two lovers had been moments ago. He looked stunned. Lifting his hand to his cheek, he realized he was crying.

Roger could not remember the last time he had cried.


	5. That Summer

That one night had been followed by several others, and within weeks the word around town was that Josh Lewis and Holly Lindsey had become an item. The news had been met mostly with incredulity, especially by their respective families.

Billy was the most rattled by the situation. In his mind, Holly was strongly associated with Roger, a man he hated more than he could say. His discomfort when Holly was around was painfully obvious. She was so different than the rest of them, he thought; she might as well come from another planet. He was very vocal to his brother about his concerns. Josh would only smile and reply that Vanessa and he had not been an obvious match either and it had not stopped Billy from marrying her.

Vanessa, although very concerned that Josh would end up getting hurt, was able to make more of an effort and welcome Holly into her family, maybe not as a member yet, but a least as a friend.

It did not take to that long however for both of them to somewhat come around. Josh made Holly lose the edge that could make the Lewises uncomfortable at times. She laughed more heartedly than before, she was less sarcastic. Her life was suddenly simpler.

Blake had also been stunned by the news. She was not a fool, she realized that Josh was a good catch, but she had been so sure that her parents were edging towards reconciliation that she could not help feeling disappointed. She did manage to hide her feelings, however, with Ross' strong encouragements. He for one was convinced that this was a good thing for Holly. Josh was a decent man, and they had a chance of building a healthy relationship. As far as he was concerned, that ship had sailed long ago for Holly and Roger. Hell, it had sunk right to the bottom of the sea.


	6. Here and Now

A month or so after the ball, Holly was enjoying a quiet night alone at her place. She was soaking in her bath, thinking that, although she missed Josh, a night apart would do them good. She had always been a bit of a loner, and the Lewis clan could overwhelm her at times. Things had changed so quickly in the last few weeks; she could hardly believe it.

She smiled at the thought of it. It was so unlike her to just give in to her feelings, but she was glad that she had. As soon as she had decided to pursue her attraction to Josh, she had felt a tremendous weight being lifted from her shoulders. She was still amazed at how easy it had been. She had no idea where the whole thing was going and for the first time, she did not care. All she wanted to do was to keep having a good time, make love and …make love again. She remembered some of the encounters that they had had in that very room and blushed. Josh knew how to satisfy her and yet to still leave her wanting more.

Still deep into her reveries, she was getting out of the bath when she heard someone fumbling with a key at her front door.

"I'm in here, Josh!" she called out, assuming that he had asked Vanessa to keep an eye on the kids for the night after all.

Turning to greet him, she was shocked to see Roger standing in the door. She had not seen him since before the ball.

"How did you get in here?" she asked.

"I stole Blake's key," he replied matter-of-factly, staring at her naked body, a sight he had not seen in fifteen years. She grabbed a towel and hurriedly covered herself up.

He laughed a humourless laugh, leaning on the doorway. "Don't worry; I won't try to take advantage of you. After all, I am a married man now."

Holly felt the wind knocked out of her. "What?"

"Yes, that's what I came here to tell you. Jenna and I got married last night. You seem to be avoiding me, so I just wanted to make sure that, you know, you got to partake in our joy. I would have invited you but Jenna thought it might be a tiny bit awkward. I hope you don't mind."

Holly felt anger rise inside her and resisted the urge to wipe his smirk off his face. "To think that I might have caught the bouquet, what a shame!" she said sardonically, trying to get out of the bathroom.

He blocked the way and said in a low voice. "I would have appreciated the same courtesy from you."

She stepped back until she could feel the sink on the back of her thighs. Here we go, she thought.

"My relationship with Josh is none of your business."

"None of my business? You left me high and dry, Holly! There was something going on between us and you just bailed out on me. And for a Lewis boy, of all people. Nice touch."

"He's not a boy, he's a man. And you seem to forget a little something: you had a girlfriend at the time," she cried, feeling angrier by the minute.

"Yes, and now she is my wife," Roger replied, insisting on the last word.

The steam from the bath was starting to cling to his hair, making his face glisten. He wiped his forehead, waiting, hoping for her to take another shot at him.

She simply said: "Yes, she is your wife now, and I am with Josh. So, it looks like we said everything that we had to say."

Roger took a few steps toward her, slowly. She waited for his next move, trying not to flinch.

"Except this," he said, now inches from her face, still not touching her: "You might think that it's over between us, but it's not."

They stood still, facing each other, both angry, both sad. He searched in her eyes for a sign that it really was time for him to leave. Finding none, he suddenly grabbed her and kissed her.

Holly felt like she was dissolving into his arms. He stepped back, only to get rid of his clothes faster. She dropped her towel on the floor and pulled him against her. The feeling of their bodies colliding against each other was almost too much to bear for either of them. There was no time to think, no time to hesitate; Roger grabbed her by the thighs, his hands slipping on her wet skin, and lifted her on the sink. He looked her in the eyes when he entered her, craving to see the pleasure on her face. She moaned and buried her face in his neck, clutching his back with one hand and the wall with the other.

He started moving inside of her, slowly at first, taunting her. She arched her back, welcoming him, and he soon lost all control. She came seconds before him and he heard her cry his name. Then it was his turn to be caught up in what seemed like a tidal wave, and all he could remember afterwards was repeating "It's not over," again and again in her ear.

They stayed huddled against each other for a long time. Then he gently helped her down the sink and started to put his clothes back on. The water from the bath had grown cold and the room was starting to feel chilly.

Before leaving, Roger faced Holly. "This might not be our time, Holly, but it will come. I know it will." With that, he walked out, leaving the key on the table.

Holly slowly walked back to the bathroom to get her towel, pondering Roger's last words. Looking at herself in the steamy mirror, she wondered if he was right.

* * *

Holly met Josh the next day at Laurel Falls for a stroll before sunset. She had thought that facing him would be difficult, but she was mistaken. She was as glad to see him as always and did not feel guilty in the least. In fact, she felt more at peace that she had in a long time. She and Roger had come to terms with something the night before, she was not sure what, but it made it easier to go forward with her life.

After walking for a while, Josh spotted a big tree and suggested half-jokingly that they go make out under it. Instead, they just cuddled, watching the sun go down.

"You look happy today," he said, smiling.

She lifted her face to look at him and replied: "I am."

"Any reason in particular?"

"For the first time in years, I feel that life is not as complicated as I thought it was. I am just happy to be here with you, in the moment."

Josh kissed the top of her head. "I know what you mean. 'Always' can be a very loaded word, and I'd rather not use it anymore. Who can say where we will end up in a of couple years from now? I certainly can't. If I am happy, right here, right now, with you, then it is all that I need."

Holly looked at the sky, hoping to catch a glimpse of the first evening star, and thought: "Who needs to predict the future, indeed? It will come soon enough".

She did not know yet that a new life was growing inside of her, and that she and Roger had formed yet another unbreakable bond.

And somewhere, in an Amish town named Goshen, a blond woman stirred in her sleep, dreaming about a red car racing down a bridge. She murmured: "I am coming, Bud."

* * *

_I decided to leave all of them with an open ending...please review! What did you think about the Holly/Josh pairing?_


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